The present invention relates to gas lasers; and more particularly to gas lasers that are capable of continuous wave (CW) lasing action.
Gas lasers typically comprise a chamber containing a gas which emits light when excited by an electric discharge. An anode and a cathode within the chamber are biased to provide electrical excitation of the gas. Mirrors at opposite ends of the chamber form a Fabry-Perot cavity which causes the light emitted by the gas to lase. Some gas lasers are a closed system in that the chamber is sealed with the gas therein, while others have inlets and outlets with the gas flowing through the chamber.
It is often desirable in many applications of lasers to provide continuous lasing action, as opposed to pulsed action. However, conventional lasers can operate in the continuous wave (CW) mode only at certain wavelengths. Thus it is desirable to be able to enable continuous operation at a wider variety of wavelengths within the ultraviolet and visible spectra.